MANILA – Miru Systems has officially handed over two advanced printing machines to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the National Printing Office (NPO) for use in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections and BARMM parliamentary elections.
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia shared on Saturday that this will be the first time that HP printing machines are deployed for a government agency.
“Natutuwa kami dahil nga state of the art ito, sobrang improved version ito ng lahat ng mga printing machines na alam natin so far,” Garcia said.
He added that the new machines are both cost-effective and efficient. “Una, mas mura. At number 2, mabilis. Paglabas ng mga balota, naka-cut na siya per precinct kaagad.”
COMELEC aims to produce at least 70 million ballots within the next two months, ensuring readiness for the elections. Media, interest groups, and citizens are welcome to observe the printing process.
“We will never leave any day without any observer or anyone watching para maiwasan ‘yung mga ibang issue na katulad ng nangyari dati,” Garcia explained.
To reinforce election integrity, COMELEC has committed to printing only the exact number of ballots required, addressing any concerns about excess ballots.
“At saka ‘pag may excess ballots kasi, it creates in the minds of the voters na pwede naman pa lang magkamali. So kapag alam nila na 1:1 lang ang ating ratio, iingatan ng mga botante ‘yung pagboto at paghawak sa mismong mga balota,” Garcia stated.
On average, national and local elections see a 65-70% voter turnout, while presidential elections can drive participation up to 80-83%. Unused or rejected ballots will be systematically accounted for, with strict protocols ensuring that ballots are precinct-specific and cannot be used interchangeably.
Every ballot will undergo machine verification to meet COMELEC standards. The machines are capable of printing 1 million ballots in just two days, each batch tailored to a specific precinct.
Preliminary test ballots are currently being printed with sample candidate names, allowing COMELEC to evaluate the machines’ performance.
“Pero sa final testing and sealing na mangyayari isang buwan o isang linggo bago mag eleksyon, aktwal na balota ‘yung gagamitin,” Garcia noted.
COMELEC is also addressing issues with nuisance candidates and expects to release the final candidate list by December 13.